Child Protection Officer, Kinshasa

General

Description of assignment title: Child Protection Officer

Assignment country: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Duty stations: Kinshasa

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 12/01/2026

Expected end date: 06/30/2027

Sustainable Development Goal: 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Host entity: MONUSCO

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

MONUSCO/MONUC was established in 1999 under the auspices of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). SCR 2277 (2016) requests MONUSCO to support efforts of the Government of DRC towards the protection of civilians, through a comprehensive approach involving all components of MONUSCO, including through reduction of the threat posed by Congolese and foreign armed groups and of violence against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence and violence against children to a level that can be effectively managed by the Congolese justice and security institutions; and to support Stabilization through the establishment of functional, professional, and accountable state institutions, including security and judicial institutions. The project aims at a better understanding of the most serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in DRC and supports the leadership of the Mission through informed policy and decision making on future vetting of security forces through risk assessment and mitigation, joint planning for MONUSCO operations, as well as advocacy efforts.

Context

The UN Volunteer will serve within the MONUSCO Child Protection Section, which is responsible for monitoring, documenting, and reporting child protection concerns, including grave violations against children. The section works closely with partner organizations, state services, and UN agencies—particularly UNICEF and other members of the Country Task Force on the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM)—to ensure accurate, timely, and ethical reporting that informs child protection interventions and advocacy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This assignment supports the implementation of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) mandate, which aims to strengthen child protection systems, enhance collaboration with the DRC Government on the implementation of the Action Plan to Prevent and End the Recruitment of Children and other grave violations, and ensure the effective functioning of the Joint UN–DRC Government Technical Working Group (JTWG) on children and armed conflict at the national level. The UNV role contributes to MONUSCO’s broader child protection objectives and aligns with its global objective to promote the safety, rights, and well‑being of children affected by conflict.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Team Leader, the UNV Child Protection Officer will undertake the following tasks:

Mainstreaming Child Protection within mission components:

• Support the mainstreaming of Child Protection into all aspects, activities, strategies, policies and training programs of MONUSCO
• Work directly with other MONUSCO components, including the UN Police, Military Liaison Officers, Human Rights, DDRRS, ROLSI, etc. to integrate a child-conscious approach into the overall work of the mission,
• Provide training on child rights and child protection to military, police and civilian staff of the mission.

Advocacy and Co-ordination:

• Work collaboratively with the DRC national Government on the implementation of the Action Plan to Prevent and End the Recruitment of Children and other grave violations and ensure the effective functioning of the Joint UN–DRC Technical Working Group (JTWG) on children and armed conflict.
• Participate and contribute inputs into the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) as well as other co-ordination mechanisms, including national counterparts and UN Agencies;
• Liaison with relevant national counterparts, civil society organizations, UN/Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) actors and other relevant child protection actors in ensuring adequate response to violations committed against children.

Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM):

• Participate in the implementation of the MRM as per the provision of UN SCR 1612 (2005);
• Undertake field missions to verify allegations on child rights violations;
• Ensure timely delivery of a variety of reports, briefing notes, talking points and any other communications in compliance with the Section mandate.

Perform other related duties as may be required.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

3 years

Nationality

Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

3 years

Languages

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• French, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Master's degree in Law, child protection, human rights, political science, social science or humanitarian related field

Competencies and values

• Planning and organizing
• Professionalism
• Communication
• Teamwork and respect of diversity

Skills and experience

The incumbent must be a dynamic, multi-functional person, who supports the Child Protection Section-MONUSCO.

The following qualifications are required:

• Practice of human rights or child protection in conflict or post-conflict zones with prior assignments with the UN agencies, national entities, or International NGOs/international Organizations.
• Practical experience in child protection monitoring, documentation, verification and reporting is required
• Knowledge of international standards on child rights and human rights in conflict situations
• Practical experience in human rights/child rights programming, advocacy and training
• Field experience in armed conflict situations.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and diversified team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel; PowerPoint, Word)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in both French and English
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and adhere to safeguarding and data-protection standards

Area(s) of expertise

Emergency preparedness, crisis response, Humanitarian affairs, protection, Safety and security

Driving license

Light Vehicle (LV) Required

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.

Living conditions therefore vary between MONUSCO duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water. The ability to live and work in difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential.

Accommodation is very expensive in both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Supermarkets exist in the large towns (e.g. Bukavu, Kisangani), but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative.

All MONUSCO duty stations are considered non-family duty stations, except for Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Entebbe which are now considered family duty stations, and most are currently under UN Security Phase III (“relocation phase”: internationally-recruited staff are temporarily concentrated or relocated to specified sites/locations). In addition to insecurity related to the relatively volatile political situation as well as various conflict situations, certain places are subject to increasing street and residential crime, including in Kinshasa and Goma.

Some degree of medical service is provided in all MONUSCO duty stations. Certain vaccinations are mandatory for MONUSCO personnel to enter the DRC, while others are compulsory for all other incoming persons. It is possible for incoming MONUSCO personnel, including UN Volunteers, to be asked to provide proof of some or all vaccinations, though this is unlikely. All UN Volunteers must ensure that they are up-to-date with all appropriate vaccinations, which should be clearly and properly endorsed in the International Certificate of Vaccination (“carte jaune”). Malaria is present virtually throughout the DRC, and it is therefore recommended to take prophylaxis.

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller’s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), UN Volunteers are recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and VLA payments will be processed in cash. UN Volunteers have the possibility to send part of their allowances to a bank account abroad.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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